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Special Dossier: The Night as a Sociological Object

New dossier in Sociológica México (No. 113, Jan–Jun 2026)

A new special dossier entitled “La noche como objeto sociológico” (The Night as a Sociological Object) has just been published in Sociológica México (Year 41, No. 113, January–June 2026; ISSN 2007-8358), a peer-reviewed journal edited by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (Mexico).

Coordinated by Dr. Alejandro Mercado-Celis and Dr. Yolanda Macías, the dossier brings together an international and interdisciplinary group of scholars working at the intersection of sociology, anthropology, urban studies and public policy. Rather than treating the night as a mere temporal backdrop, the collection approaches it as a specific social object: a space-time where emotions, cultural forms, inequalities, infrastructures and governance regimes become particularly visible.

The dossier offers a collective mapping of the social life of the night across different contexts and scales. Contributions range from cultural theory and affect studies to urban governance, environmental concerns and political violence, highlighting the analytical potential of nocturnal life for understanding contemporary societies.

The articles include theoretical reflections on the nocturne as a cultural form (Will Straw); analyses of emotional and affective infrastructures in light festivals and night-time practices (Manuel García-Ruiz); sociological perspectives on affective ties and nocturnal leisure (Yolanda Macías); ethnographic work on grief and mourning in urban nights (Diana María Chen Rodríguez and Julio César Becerra Pozos); anthropological frameworks for night studies (Mariana Figueroa Castelán); socio-environmental approaches to urban lighting (Edna Hernández González); critical urban policy analysis of the 15-minute city and nightlife transformations (Jordi Nofre, Álvaro Mazorra and Manuel García-Ruiz); debates on the limits of evidence-based policymaking in night-time governance (Jess Reia); and long-term analyses of how homicidal violence reshapes nightlife economies in Mexico (Alejandro Mercado-Celis).

Taken together, the dossier demonstrates that the night is not a marginal or residual time, but a key arena where social bonds, inequalities, cultural practices and governance processes are actively produced and contested. By positioning the night as a sociological object in its own right, this collection contributes to consolidating night studies as an emerging interdisciplinary field with strong relevance for both academic research and urban policy debates.

Contents (Research Articles)

The nocturne as cultural form — Will Straw 

Lights that Gather: Attendance Motivations and Emotions in Light Festivals as Night-time Practices — Manuel García-Ruiz 

Repertorios de ocio nocturno y lazos afectivos: una propuesta sociológica para pensar la noche — Yolanda Macías 

Noches tristes: gestión del duelo en la noche urbana — Diana María Chen Rodríguez; Julio César Becerra Pozos 

Seis reflexiones antropológicas en torno al estudio social de la noche: teorías, metodologías y casos — Mariana Figueroa Castelán 

La iluminación urbana entre interacciones sociales y medio ambiente — Edna Hernández González 

The implementation of the 15-minute city model in Barcelona and the decline of the city’s nightlife industry— Jordi Nofre; Álvaro Mazorra; Manuel García-Ruiz 

The Boundaries of Evidence-based Policymaking for Night-time Governance — Jess Reia 

Violencia homicida y transformación de la economía del ocio nocturno en México (1999–2023) — Alejandro Mercado-Celis 


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Manuel Garcia-Ruiz (January 31, 2026). Special Dossier: The Night as a Sociological Object. International Night Studies Network. Retrieved March 13, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/15lkq